Time to Shine
by Written-Life
Summary: He didn't know which way to turn. Spells were flying around in every dirrection, knights were dropping like flies, and he was just standing there with a sword hanging loosely in his grip. Time to Shine... (NEW NAME, USED TO BE "DOCTOR WHO & MERLIN XOVER" NEW SUMMARY)
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, this is a new story I thought of and I just thought I'd put it on here for the hell of it. I'm sort of making it up as I go so there's no real summary at the moment. It is set between season 4 of Merlin (Uther is dead) and the end of season 5 of Doctor Who. Sorry if any character are OC, I don't have a Beta reader so there might be a few mistakes but I hope you enjoy anyway.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the series' on BBC and I do not own the Arthurian legend. Sad face.**

**o o o o o X X X X X X X X X X X X o o o o**

**Doctor Who and Merlin Crossover….**

The TARDIS shuddered, rocking to the side and sending the three passengers tumbling to the left. "Where are we going?" Amy shouted over the engines. She pulled herself up next to Rory in attempts to see the control panels.

"Not telling!" The Doctor yelled. "Oomph." He had just rammed front first into the navigational systems in front of him. It felt as like they were spinning in circles as the ancient machine lurched through time. Rory was trying to keep quiet, still feeling a little queasy from this form of travelling. He was turning from pale to slightly having a twinge of green added to his facial features.

The usual racket the TARDIS made got quieter and the signature warping sound became clearer. There were less sounds of the angry engines then there were of the protesting brakes. All the while the Doctor had been dancing around the controls, twisting orbs, typing into the type writer and pulling levers.

"Right," he said. "Before we go out there, we all need to get changed." He held up a finger when he saw Amy was about to protest. "Once we've done that, then, I'll tell you where we are." Amy frowned.

"But how are we supposed to know what to wear?" She asked as she followed the Doctor towards the wardrobe. "For all we know it could be freezing outside and we might dress for Rio."

"Hmm," He pondered. "Oooh, Oooh! I've got it! I'll show you a whole bunch of clothes to pick from; you'll choose something from there and then you can wear that. Any questions? No? Good, let's go!" He spoke quickly, his words almost slurring together and he bounced on the balls of his feet. He looked like an excited kid on Christmas morning. They were in the humongous wardrobe now. He led them to a specific section with a rack of medieval looking clothes. "Choose wisely…." He said, pretending to be serious as he walked away, firstly picking out his own outfit. He disappeared behind a changing screen.

The Ponds went to their separate sections, each comparing the choices to the other. For Amy, there were gowns of tremendous beauty, to those of a serving girl. There were all floor length, but no matter what class they were for, they were all beautiful. Amy chose one of the few upper class dresses.

It was a deep blue colour, with long sleeves that fluttered out loosely across the length of her arms and out to the sides. A golden belt around the waist pulled the fabric together at the middle. As she slipped it on, she felt the soft silk brush against her skin. The fabric dropped to her ankles and the whispering rush of wind sent goose-bumps up her spine. She pulled black heels onto her feet and she looked herself up and down in the mirror. On the other side of the screen, Rory was just picking out his own clothes.

He chose a simple attire, pulling on some boots and a purple shirt. He swapped out his geans for black leggings. He grabbed a jacket and slipped it on over the shirt. He stepped out from behind his screen and saw the Doctor in a higher class get up.

He wore boots and leather pants. For a shirt he had blue cotton and he wore one of those fur coats that had been shaved clean. Just then Amy walked out in a silk gown, attracting the attention of both boys, much to Rory's displeasure. But Amy didn't seem to mind. She grinned at the dumbstruck expressions on each face. "Uhh," Rory started. "I think I'm a bit underdressed." Looking them both over again.

"Nonsense!" Exclaimed the Doctor. "You'll play the perfect part of a manservant!" He laughed in excitement, continuing on. "You know, I've never actually been to this particular time and place before." He laughed again. "I can't wait!"

"So where are we going?" Amy asked for what felt like the millionth time.

"Oh," the Doctor said. "Did I say when we were dressed? I meant when we were out the doors! C'mon" He rushed out the door without waiting for a reply. Amy and Rory ran after him. They were both annoyed but they knew they couldn't argue with the Doctor when his mind was set on something.

"How can he expect me to run in these shoes?" Amy yelled as they ran.

They caught up with him just as he reached the doors. The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at them, making sure they were behind him. He pulled open the doors and announced in a conductors voice; "Boys and Girls, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome… to Camelot!"

**o o o o o X X X X X X X X X X X X X o o o o**

**So yeah, there's the first chapter. It's kind of short but it does the trick. I should be updating in around a week but it might change at some point. About my other story "The Mark of Athena", I don't know why I haven't gotten around to it but I will try to as soon as possible.**

**Bye, bye **

**P.S. please review, it helps to know if someone likes your story or not. Constructive criticism is welcomed. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, it's me again. Here's the next chapter. Umm… sorry about the long update gap. Plz, plz, plz review. And thank you to Beatreex who is my one and only reviewer for this story. If you read this and you haven't checked out my other story you should check it out it's called: "The Mark of Athena" I should be updating soon….**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any BBC characters or TV series'. AKA 'Merlin' or 'Doctor Who'**

Merlin was in the stocks. Although he and Arthur were friends now, it didn't mean that the other nobles didn't have the "right" to put him there. It was around noon, getting hotter every moment. There was a crowd of people in front of him, all holding their fair share of rotten fruits and vegetables. They were all aiming for his face. At that moment, a very rotten, very juicy and very squishy looking tomato came soaring towards his face. He scrunched his face and turned his cheek, readying himself for the impact. Juice and seeds seemed to explode everywhere as it hit his face. The crowd laughed in delight when this happened, seemingly pleased. The superb shot of the little boy who'd thrown the fruit brought more cheers from the crowd. Everyone had started throwing things again when Merlin first caught sight of the strangers.

Out of the three, the two extravagantly dressed people seemed very out of place. The ladies ginger hair bounced slightly as they walked towards the castle gates. They spoke quietly to one another but Merlin had no chance of hearing them. Occasionally Merlin would wince or jump when something made contact. He would cringe and sometimes groan when something particularly hard hit, but mostly he kept his eyes and mind on the newcomers. Something about them, they just seemed so different. The way they walked, the way they held themselves as if they weren't used to the attention. But most of all, their aura seemed different.

Arthur's voice brought him out of his pondering, jarring him back to reality.

"What did you do this time?" he asked apparently oblivious to Merlins troubles.

"Huh?" Merlin Blundered. "Oh, ah, I kind of slipped and spilt dirty washing water all over Lord Agravaine." Merlin grinned sheepishly. Although it had been an accident, Merlin hadn't been entirely (barely a tiny bit) displeased by the outcome of his clumsiness. That was until he had been thrown into the stocks. Ever since he had found out about Agravaines true loyalties, that he was in league with Morgana, things had gotten worse. Agravaine was becoming more problematic than ever, he just seemed to be popping up everywhere. It was harder to keep secrets. Arthur was like a ring wrapped around Agravaines finger, relying on his every word. More innocent people were getting blamed for the things he, Agaravaine, was doing himself.

Arthur chuckled, now that it was said, it sounded like exactly the thing Merlin would do. He called off the crowd of children and adults to an audible groan from the crowd.

"Looks like you've finally gotten yourself some fans" Arthur teased, unlocking the stocks.

"Ha ha," Merlin said. "That is so very funny." He groaned as he stretched his stiff muscles.

"Yes, I thought so too." Arthur chuckled again when he saw the expression on his servants face.

Merlin changed the subject to his earlier thoughts.

"Who are they?" he pointed to the group who were now at the palace gate. They were speaking with the guards and within a few moments they were walking through the gates. Arthur followed his gaze and saw who he was talking about.

"Huh, never seen them before in my life. Best go and find out who they are. You've got 5 minutes to clean up and get changed, that should give us all enough time to prepare ourselves for our unexpected guests. Any longer and I just might put you back in here." He walked away before merlin could argue. He didn't mind though, he was just glad to get away from the people who wanted to pelt food at him.

Merlin ran towards his shared chambers, making sure to take all of his shortcuts. He also stopped by the wells to get some fresh water. All the while people on the streets laughed and yelled in amusement at his mad rush. He grabbed some fresh clothes from his wardrobe, setting them aside for later, and he grabbed some soap. He glanced around, making sure he was completely alone, before saying the single word that would make the water warm. His eyes glowed gold and a few bubbles rose from the bottom of the bucket.

He scrubbed up as fast as he could and dried off when all the muck was gone. Merlin swapped clothes and, just to make sure the entire stink was gone, he walked over to Gaius' herbs, spices and fragrances. He tried to pick more of a manly one than a girly one. It was hard. Most of them were things like, lavender or rose scent. He could only imagine what would happen if he walked into the throne room smelling like a lily. Eventually he found what he thought might be an acceptable one. He spread the essence around where he thought he would smell the worst and he left for the throne room.

"Good, you're here." Arthur said when he arrived. "They're about to enter. I'm going to get you to take their identification to Geoffrey of Monmouth. He should know if it's authentic or not." Merlin nodded.

"What if they don't have anything?" Arthur looked uneasy at this question.

"Then we improvise." He said. Merlin understood. Even if these people seemed nice, they could be planning anything. Just like Morgana.

Just then the doors to the throne room opened. The three walked in, a woman and a man at the front and a manservant trailing just behind. They would have looked mostly normal for any other onlooker, but then Merlin caught the gaze of the noble in front.

His eyes were old, older than all but one pair of eyes Merlin had seen before. The man was so full of age and memories that Merlin felt it overwhelming him. The man had seen so much yet his appearance was young. He had witnessed the foulest of evils and the innocence of life.

Merlin blinked several times, finding himself with a slight headache. All Merlin thought he had seen was impossible. None at the age of the young man before him could have seen and done so much. The man's gaze flickered away, resting on the king's face. He seemed to put on a mask of happiness and excitement. He introduced himself and his companions. "I am Sir Doctor of Tardis and this is m'Lady Amelia of Tardis. Also, this is our servant Rory; he is of the same home as us." As he said this, he nodded his head towards the manservant a smirkpulling at the edges of his mouth. He turned his gaze back to Arthur.

Arthur didn't look impressed. "I have never heard of this place, Tardis, you call it? Where is it?" Sir Doctor did not look surprised.

"Oh it is very far away," he said. "We have travelled many a league. I am not surprised that you have not heard of our home." Sir Doctor smiled when he admitted that, suddenly looking very tired.

Arthur smiled in return. "I understand completely that you are tired. I must insist that you take up quarters within the castle walls until you wish to leave." The three looked pleased by this and the woman spoke up.

"That is most generous my lord." She said and bowed her head. "It is with our greatest thanks that we accept." Arthur nodded but held up his hand making it clear that he wasn't finished speaking.

"I hate to ask this but, in the past, we have had trouble with sorcerers and assassins trying to bring down Camelot. Is it possible that you have any proof of who you are and where you come from?" Amelia and Rory glanced at Sir Doctor. He smiled.

"Of course, of course!" he said. He pulled out a leather wallet looking thing and handed it to the King. Arthur looked it over; apparently he was ready to believe whatever was written there. But he didn't want to risk anything.

He turned to Merlin. "Like we discussed." He handed Merlin the wallet and the sorcerer left the room. He heard Arthur explaining what was happening as he left. But he didn't pay attention, he just kept walking. When he was about halfway down the corridor he stopped. He wanted to see what was so convincing about the wallet. He opened it in anticipation. He didn't understand though, the paper was blank…

**Ok, so I'm not sure how long it will take for an update hopefully not so long as before. Hey, maybe I will be quicker if I get more Reviews! The same goes for my other story.**

**G2G**

**Ciao..**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any BBC characters from Merlin or Doctor Who. I only own the Plot**

**Doctor Who POV**

"_What?"_ the Ponds were shocked, after all, Camelot was supposed to be a myth. It was just an old child's story.

"Yep, that's right, Camelot." The Doctor was clearly enjoying himself; it was obvious by the look on his face. He seemed about ready to jump out of his shoes in excitement. It was like he was doing all he could just to keep from running out the door, trying to get to the palace gates as fast as possible. Amy could just imagine him running up a street, picking up random bits and bobs in his haste to reach the castle. "Well? What are you waiting for? Stop standing there like bone idle fish and let's go!" He didn't wait for them to answer. The Doctor jumped through the doors, pulling the Pond's along behind him as he did so. They both turned back as he closed the door. It clicked to a shut and the TARDIS turned invisible, as if sensing where it was. Amy raised an eyebrow.

"Does it always do that?" She sounded unsure, her worried tone shining through with a sharp accent.

"Well, not always." Said the Doctor and he walked away. It was like he thought those few words explained everything. Amy and Rory looked around, up until then; none of them had taken any notice of where they were or what their surroundings looked like. They were in a forest, tall trees being the most dominant of the landscapes features. Amy looked around and saw a giant castle looming above the tree-line.

"That's it, isn't it?" Rory said beside her. "That's Camelot!" He didn't need an answer. They could faintly hear the clanging of metal bells in the distance. Nine, ten, eleven. Twelve O'clock.

"How long will it take to get there?" Amy asked absentmindedly.

"Umm, about ten, maybe fifteen minutes, give or take. We should get walking." Came the reply from the Doctor. He trudged off towards the castle and the Pond's followed along eagerly.

On the way they talked a little. Most silences were filled with either the Pond's panting or their questions. They asked things liked "when are we?" and "are we almost there yet?" For them, time went relatively quickly.

"Aww-oo. My feet are killing me. Why did I choose to wear heels? That was so stupid and given our normal circumstances, I'm probably going to be running around mad half the time anyway." Amy sighed. "May as well go bare foot from here." She was about to slip off her shoes but the Doctor stopped her.

"There's no point in taking them off now, we're almost at the gates. It wouldn't be a good thing for a women looking like you are now, to come strolling into town with no shoes on." The Doctor sighed in exasperation after he said this so they moved on, all with their shoes on.

Amy vaguely wondered what King Arthur would look like. Hopefully he wasn't too old, that would be a downer. Something that had never occurred to her before popped into her head.

"Where are we going to be from?" The logical question was asked by Rory but he didn't get the quick answer he was hoping for thanks to Amy.

"What does Arthur look like? Are we going to get to meet him? Are we going to meet Merlin? Has Arth-" Amy's sudden jumble of questions were cut off abruptly. As far as she could tell, the Doctor had made a weird shushing sound and Amy had felt compelled to be quiet.

"How are we going to explain the fact that we don't have any luggage?" The Doctor shushed Rory aswell when he continued to ask questions.

"Do you want to actually answer some of your questions? Or would you just like to keep rambling?" Amy stayed silent. "Ok. As for the luggage problem, we can say we had to sell our horses for and spare clothing for supplies. We're going to be from a faraway place called Tardis that no one will have heard of but they shouldn't to many questions anyway. For your next question, I have no idea what King Arthur looks like seeing as every myth describes him differently." They were inside the Kingdom's lower gates by now and were now making their way the busy streets. "I don't know if we'll get to meet of them, but I'm pretty sure we'll get to at least see Arthur in passing. But now, were getting closer to the palace so I guess, we'll find out what happens soon enough. Now we have to work on not acting out of their ordinary."

"But I have a question." Rory protested.

The doctor sighed. "What is it Rory?"

"Will we get to see the sword in the stone?" The Doctor hesitated.

"I wouldn't think so. But it is possible…" He left the sentence hanging.

They tried to blend in as much as possible but it really was no use. People skirted around them like they were contagious. Some bowed their heads in respect and a few others ran off in the direction of some knights. Mostly they didn't have any trouble but Amy and Rory seemed somewhat uncomfortable with all of the attention. Every now and then they saw a couple of knights who looked like they wanted to approach but they all kept to themselves. "Um, Rory?" The Doctor asked hesitantly. "You should probably walk behind us, it might not be normal for 'servants' to walk beside their, ah, 'masters', or ah, 'upper-class' people. We wouldn't want to arouse suspicion." Rory looked like he wanted to argue with the Doctor but he just dropped back behind the pair.

The market place bustled with movement despite the amount of attention the trio was getting. From up and down the street men and women could be heard bartering and shop owners advertising their products. The three time travellers looked around in wonder and for once, even the doctor was speechless. "Amazing…" Rory breathed. They were nearing the courtyard gates now and from across the square they could see someone in the stocks. Amy and Rory looked concerned but the Doctor reassured them.

"Don't worry," He said. "He's probable some lowly pheasant or servant who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, no big deal. History probably won't even remember his name. Quite sad really…" He trailed off, not paying attention to the other pair.

"I wonder if we'll get to meet Gwenevere." Amy said absentmindedly. Meanwhile Rory was still marvelling at the scenery.

"Are we staying in the castle?" He asked the Doctor.

"Certainly!" He exclaimed. "Where else do you expect us to stay? In the Tavern? That would end very badly. Besides, this way we're more likely to meet Arthur. Now, M'lady Amelia, would you please accompany me through the gate, and Rory, just try to be inconspicuous."

They had reached the palace gates now and the Doctor quickly explained to the guards that they wanted an audience with the king. They quickly advanced through the court yard, taking a few minutes to look around. They escorted by a few nights through the castle to what they assumed was the throne room. Most of the time there had been numerous servants running around in a mad rush to get their chores done. As they got closer to the throne room, the chaos died down and the corridors became deserted save for a few guards.

They waited outside the door for a few minutes until they got the OK to enter from the guards. "Ready?" The doctor asked. The Ponds nodded, not willing to admit that they had no idea what to expect. "That's good, cause I'm not." He stated blandly.

The doors opened at that point and they found themselves in front of two people. It was clear who they thought was in charge. A man with blonde hair was sitting on the throne. It looked like he had just been talking to the man to his right but at hearing the doors open; he seemed to have stopped speaking. He turned towards them.

Whilst looking around, the Doctor caught the servants' eyes. He realised it was the boy who had been in the stocks not ten minutes ago. Amy, Rory and the King seemed oblivious to the fact that the boy was too old for his age and his wise eyes were hidden behind a mask of ignorance. The Doctor looked away, now knowing that this young man was a lot more than he seemed.

He looked to the king. He quickly explained where they were supposedly from and who they were. He had expected something like this. He'd figured the whole kingdom would be on alert after the death of their former king. So he wasn't surprised when the king didn't look impressed. He tried to make himself look tired when he replied.

Amy had stepped forward when they were offered accommodation, wanting to show herself off to the young king. But before they could get settled in, the King Arthur spoke again. He clearly did not want to ask, but he wanted to know if they had any Identification.

He pulled out his psychic paper, ignoring the worried glances that he got from Amy and Rory. He walked forward to the king and handed it to him. He wondered absentmindedly what the king would do if their qualifications didn't check out. He'd probably question us, banish us, and threaten to kill us if we dared to return. _Oh well, _he thought, _it wouldn't be a first._

Arthur took the wallet and looked it over. He looked convinced but just as the Doctor was about to step forward to take it back, Arthur gave it to the man on his right. "Like we discussed." The man nodded whilst taking the wallet, understanding completely. The King looked back two the trio, about to explain. "Like I said," He started. "I really do hate to do this but, in the past, we have had trouble with people using magic to conspire against us. For all I know, you could all be sorcerers." He chuckled merrily, as if thoroughly amused. The three travellers followed his lead, laughing nervously. "But I, unlike our court scribe, do not have a practiced eye. My servant is just taking that certificate of yours to him. He should be back soon."

"In the meantime there are servants setting up your quarters. Do you have any horses or luggage that need to be brought up to the castle?" He looked at the Doctor expectantly.

The Doctor spoke again. "We do not have and horses with us anymore. We had to sell them to get supplies. As for our luggage we chose to travel light so as to make our journey quicker. We have only what is in this room and that wallet." The king nodded.

"We have some spare gowns that I'm sure that your lady can have." He started. "And I'm sure we can find some spare clothes for you and your servant to wear." The King glanced at the door on his right, getting impatient.

**Merlin POV**

Merlin ran quickly to the library. Rushing through corridors and hallways until he came skidding to an abrupt stop in front of the door that lead to an enormous amount of books. They swung open quietly as he pushed the forward.

He stepped in and walked straight to the front desk where Geoffrey was waiting. The young warlock handed the wallet to him. Merlin had decided that it was best to keep up all the pretences. He would do as Arthur wanted him to do and deal with the imposters themselves when they thought they were safe from suspicion. The older man looked it over quickly. Finally he looked up at Merlin. "Everything seems to be in order. Sir Doctor of Tardis, the first son of William and his Lady Amelia. You can tell the king that they are who they say they are." He spoke as he walked around the table to give the wallet back to Merlin, his aged voice croaky but firm. The young warlock nodded in thanks and ran o towards the throne room.

When he reached the large hall, Arthur and the three travellers appeared to be chatting aimlessly. They all looked over to him when he entered. He nodded to Arthur, conveying the message that everything was in order. Merlin walked up to Sir Doctor and handed him the wallet. "Sorry for the inconvenience Sir." He said quietly. Merlin always tried to blend in with the crowd. It meant that people hardly ever suspected him of any meddling Except most of the time whenever he was meddling, the people in the wrong always suspected him of 'finding out' about something.

Just as Sir Doctor was taking the wallet back, the man's fingers accidentally brushed against the back of Merlins hand. As he registered the touch, Merlin felt as if he'd lost a great deal of energy. He recoiled as he felt a rush of information flood through his mind and he felt the understandable desire to collapse, or to throw up. But either way, they both meant the same thing; bad.

Four words, Just four words, echoed through his mind.

_The last Time Lord._

**...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello to the people reading my story, thanks following despite my unstable update gaps. Thank you to all those who reviewed and I hope you continue to do so...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the BBC characters or programs…**

4

Merlin tried to pull himself together. He'd dropped the wallet not caring what Happened to it and he'd stumbled back towards his position next to Arthur.

His whole right arm felt like it had been severely burned, his hand and head felt like they were still on fire. Thinking off topic, he wondered why he couldn't smell burning skin. He took a deep breathe in an attempt to steady himself but it didn't work. Still, he put on a mask of indifference while he tried to ignore the pain of his arm and throbbing head.

Merlins eyes drifted down quickly so he could glance at his hand. On the exact place where he assumed he'd been touched there was a blood red welt. His eyes snapped back to the front and he shoved his hands behind his back to hide the fact that they were shaking. In the few seconds of contact he'd had with the noble, he'd been burnt, literally. Merlin held the sneaking suspicion that if the touch had been held any longer, it would have pierced skin.

He risked a glance at Arthur and found him looking at him like Merlin was contagious. Merlin saw him scoot over a bit in the opposite direction after this and the young warlock almost grinned.

All this had happened in a few seconds and they all continued on as if nothing had happened. "So," Arthur said. "Now that that's over and done with, your quarters should be prepared by now. We just need somewhere for your servant to stay." Merlin stepped forward.

"He can stay with Gaius and me. I'm sure Gaius won't mind as long as he doesn't have to give up his bed." Keep your friends close, Merlin thought, and your enemies closer. "I can show him around the castle so he doesn't get lost." Next to him, Arthur nodded.

"Don't think that means you can go slacking off on your chores," the King replied jokingly.

"Of course not, Sire, but then again they are your chores after all." Merlin replied. The sarcastic remark would have had the perfect retort if someone had not cleared their throat. The two remembered they had company and Merlin stepped away from the travellers.

"Right, uh," The king look uncomfortable. "Merlin will show you to your rooms and get you some night clothes and some fresh cloths for tomorrow. He'll meet you out there; I just need to speak with him for a moment." By the time Arthur had stopped speaking the three in front of them looked a lot more excited. "Run along," Arthur encouraged them. They all bowed before leaving. Arthur waited for the doors to close before he spoke. "Now Merlin, just because they are who they say they are, that doesn't mean it's a guaranty that they're nice." He lectured Merlin slowly, as if talking to a child. Arthur continued, "I want you to keep an eye on them anyway."

Merlin sighed. "How did I know this was coming?"

Arthur shrugged. "I'm more surprised than you are Merlin; here I was thinking you were complete idiot."

"You're not one to talk..." Merlin muttered.

"What was that?" The king asked suspiciously.

"I said, 'we don't have time to talk," Arthur easily bought the lie, only reinforcing Merlin's previous statement. "You know, they might get suspicious or something, you never know with all these nobles." The king scowled at the young warlock and Merlin grinned at the perfect reaction.

"Whatever just make sure you keep an eye on them." Merlin sighed again but nodded his head in consent. He walked away but paused when Arthur called his name, he looked back at the king. "Why do I smell cinnamon?" Merlin grinned, turned around and kept walking.

"No reason." And he passed through doors.

Merlin dropped the happy façade as soon as he was out of the throne room. He cast a gloomy look down the opposite corridor in his search for the group, but still his mind was foggy as his head continued to throb. The whole time he'd been in throne room, since the burn, he'd been trying to act normal. The tiring effects of the act and the physical and mental drain from the jumble of information flowing into his mind just a few minutes before hand left him wanting to collapse from exhaustion. But he held back his fatigue and examined his hand as he walked away from the guards.

He'd have to get some burn cream from Gaius when he next got the chance. He'd also have to explain how he got the burn, and about their new guest too… Merlin tried touching the wound to see if it was tender, this resulted in him hissing in pain from the poke. He soon realised it hurt to move, that could be problematic. Maybe I could try healing it later, he thought, though it would be harder than usual wit, what-was-his-name? Was it Robert or something? Rory, a voice inside his head whispered. He shook his head and pushed the thoughts away, disregarding the frightening voice.

Merlin found the group a few minutes later. They were standing in a small circle, talking to one another as equals, though the Doctor did seem more like their leader. Merlin walked up quietly. It isn't really eavesdropping, he thought, if it's by order of the king…

"What do you think he looks like?" The girl, Amy the voice whispered, was asking the Doctor.

This time Robert was speaking, Rory, the voice whispered again, "Is he going to be old? Cause in all the myths, Merlin was always described as old." Merlins blood almost froze. They couldn't be talking about me, could they?

"No," Said the Doctor. "No I don't think he'll be old Rory. Besides, I think we've already met him." The Noble glanced around and saw the young warlock standing there looking incriminated.

Merlin tried to make it look like he was doing anything but exactly what he'd just been doing. He even contemplated whistling, despite his pained mood. "Umm," He said lamely. "Hi, I'm Merlin…"

Doctor Who

Amy and Rory nearly burst out laughing right then and there. They remembered the Doctors earlier words, so much for 'history most likely won't even remember his name'. The boy looked uncomfortable which was kind of understandable. The guy was with a whole bunch of strangers who had just been talking about him like he was some kind

A moment later Rory realized that he would be staying with the supposed most powerful magician of all time, either that or a psycho, or both. He wondered what it would take to make someone believe that actually had magic. Everyone from the twenty first century knew that there was no such thing as magic. Well, maybe not little kids, but still. All Rory knew about this was he was going to need to see proof, some real live, not fake, magic.

To Amy, Merlin didn't seem just uncomfortable; he seemed down right suspicious of them. Who knew that the most powerful warlock of all time was so paranoid? You would think he expected every shadow to be a monster. They all stood there awkwardly for a minute, not knowing what to say.

"So…..." Merlin said. "Ugh, your chambers are this way." He waved down the corridor on the right.

"Lead the way," said the Doctor. Merlin looked uncomfortable about having his back to them but he obliged. In front of them Amy saw him trying to discreetly knead his forehead, as if he had a headache, and she wondered what was wrong with him.

Merlin led them along in silence for a few minutes but then he seemed to decide it was impolite or something, to walk along and not talk.

"Sorry about having to take that wallet thing of yours," he said. " It's just that in the past, like king Arthur said, we've had a lot of trouble with Morgana and other sorcerers trying to take down Camelot. You learn to be suspicious of nearly everyone after a little while. I mean, there's been immortal armies, a dragon, assassins, spies. The list goes on."

When he was finished speaking all three of them were left gawking at the side of his head. Merlin grinned and turned his head back to the front.

"How could there have so many things to defeat?" Amy quietly asked the Doctor. He shrugged in answer.

Before they could ask Merlin about it, they came across a group of knights who all greeted him as an old friend. They spoke for a few minutes and whilst this was all going on, Amy and Rory turned to the Doctor as he spoke.

"We've got to be careful not to arouse any further suspicion. I have almost no doubt that Arthur wants Merlin to keep an eye on us and, judging by Arthurs words, I would assume he doesn't know about Merlin's magic," he exaggerated the word, making it clear he didn't believe, "so no mentioning that." The Pond's nodded, Rory was about to ask a question but in their moment of silence they heard Merlin say he had to go. "Lead the way" The Doctor said again when Merlin reached them. He turned around but kept glancing back at her. He gave a brief wave to his knight friends and turned his back on them.

A few minutes later, after quite a couple of twists and turns through the castle, they reached their room. The whole way there, Merlin seemed to be quietly trying to hide the fact that he was slowly choking. He coughed every few minutes and his hands looked red. On the way they had passed more knights and several servants who scurried along with baskets of washing, some with food for other nobles.

Merlin unlocked the door and walked through, holding it open for them. The Ponds looked around in awe. At one end of the room was a king size bed and across from that was a giant dining table. There was a cupboard against one wall and in the far corner was a table for working that held a high back chair beneath it. But it wasn't the extravagant furniture or the food on the table that awed them. It was the very size of the room and, as seen through the glass windows, the view of the outreaching kingdom. "Compliments of the King," Merlin said as he nodded towards the banquet of food. Merlin looked around awkwardly, not knowing what to do with the lack of luggage.

"Umm…." He started. "I have to attend to my chores now but if you need anything just ask a passing servant or guard to come get me. You're welcome to explore the castle if you wish and if you should get lost, again, just ask a servant or guard and they will direct you back to your quarters. This evening I will be back with your dinner and your servant will accompany me to our quarters, keeping in mind we will both return in the morning." The ending of his speech was quite firm compared to how it started. "Is there anything you need before I leave?" The three shook their heads, the Pond's in a daze. "Then I shall take my leave." He bowed his head and almost ran from the room.

"Well he was in a hurry, wasn't he?" The Doctor said stating the obvious.

"Do you think he was OK doctor? I mean, he seemed kind of sick." Amy worried. The Doctor pondered the question for a moment before answering.

"I'm not sure, but I do think he is some form of sick. But we can't do anything about it so for now I say we have something to eat."

"Amen to that." Rory said and the two men gravitated towards the food. Amy however, was hesitant to follow. She looked towards the door and gave a sigh; at the same time she promised herself she would find out what was wrong later.

**There you go… hope it's ok. Like normal, Please review even if it's to criticize.**

**Will be updating soon**

**W-L**


	5. Chapter 5

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ.**

**Okay, so for part of this chapter a used a YOUTUBE video to help with inspiration as to what Merlin, sort of, goes through. So I recommend going on YOUTUBE and searching "Doctor Who: The First Question - 50th Anniversary Trailer (HD)" it was made by 'LastWhovianTrailers', and even if you don't need it to read this, you should go checl it out anyway. It's the shorter version the I used (the one that goes for 4.37 mins) and even if 'LastWhovianTrailers' never reads this, thanks for the help.**

**Enjoy Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the BBC characters or programs…**

**P.S Sorry for any grammatical errors.**

Chapter 5

Merlin could barely manage to stay upright the entire time he'd been walking the time travellers to their quarters, and he couldn't stop coughing. When he'd been speaking to Leon, Elyan, Gwaine and Percival, he could tell they knew something was wrong. But when Gwaine had mentioned it, Merlin brushed off the question and said he had to go.

Merlin had trouble thinking straight as well. It was like someone else's thoughts were pushing his aside, giving him a massive headache. He tried to hide it as much as possible but he was sweating and coughing, and his hand still felt like it was on fire. It was all he could do to stop himself from running from their room like a coward.

He took the familiar path back to his chambers whilst examining his hand, glancing around first to make sure no one was around. Merlin took a sharp intake of breath in horror of what he saw. The exact point where the Doctor had touched his hand, there was a blood red burn, the skin surrounding the area turned black. Protruding from the dead looking skin were dozens of black veins that stretched up past his wrist, disappearing beneath his jacket sleeve. He didn't know what type of magic it was that had caused this, but he really didn't like the look of it.

Twisting up the sleeve from the burn mark, he saw the darkness of the veins thicken as they encircled his arm, making protruding ridges along his forearm. As his hand hovered over his arm, he felt heat radiating from the ugly anomaly.

The veins were less frequent as they travelled along his arm, letting his skin show every once in a while. But Merlin could see that it was somehow growing, from the progress it had made already. Seeing it, he hated to think what would have happened if the Doctor hadn't only just brushed his hand by accident.

Finally he saw the ridges gradually fading as they reached his shoulder. His relief that it had a place it stopped by the sight of the smaller, less visible veins extending from the larger ones, like tree branches stretching towards the heavens. The horrible thought that he was being encased by a giant cocoon came to mind, but he quickly squashed it like a bug. Still, the thought twitched at the back of his mind once in a while.

He pulled his sleeve down as he walked through the doors of his shared chambers. Glancing around he was relieved, in a way, to see that Gaius was still out. Carefully, he tried making his hand into a fist, crying out in a muffled gasp from the pain of it.

Merlin ran to his room and let the door swing shut behind him. He staggered over to his bed, trying to keep his pace steady, and knelt down to pull the wooden plank from its place. All the while, someone else's memories swirled through his mind, trying to override his own thoughts. His head was hurting so badly that the pain of it all was starting to make his eyes water. He pushed away the memories and kneaded his temple in efforts to herd in his chaotic thoughts. Despite the screaming voices in his head, Merlin tried to focus.

Before Merlin, sat his magic book, and within it he hoped to find a cure to his sickness. His eyes flashed a bright gold and the silent beauty of the book was tossed aside. Its pages started flapping wildly, just like they had once before, when Arthur was knocking on deaths door. The worn paper fell still for a moment and Merlin read through the page. He held up his left hand over the burn and he recited the incantation. He felt his eyes burn gold again, but nothing else happened, the pain didn't even decrease a little bit. _The last time lord..._ A voice whispered in his head again.

He went through that process again and again with every healing spell in the book, but all led to no avail. His desperation for an ending to the pain was growing. He dropped the book to the ground and sat back on his haunches. He held his head in his hands in an effort to get rid of the voices. _Silence will fall_, they whispered. Merlin rocked back and forth, images flashing before his eyes. There was a man, the noble from the throne room. He was gazing at middle age women, her most stand out feature being her curly, bushy hair. She was saying something, _"I'll see you when the Pandorica opens…"_ Another voice whispered, and Merlin knew it was the women who'd spoken. The image changed. The Doctor, for Merlin now knew that was his real name, stood before him again. But this time, there were more people with him.

In a row stood eleven people, all with different faces, but all with the same persona. They were all the same person; they all had the same name. Again and again the visions changed.

The Doctor, he was running towards a blue box, _"I've seen him,"_ an adolescent boys voice said, the words echoing. Merlin fell to the ground, landing on his side. _"He's like fire and ice and rage,"_ the words hung on Merlins' ears as the scene changed. Two people, a girl, _Rose_, the voices whispered, and the Doctor, before them was a scene of destruction. The boys' voice continued, _"He's like the night and the storm and the heart of the sun,"_ the boys voice became clearer and Merlin didn't know how, but so did the drumming of music.

There was a new voice now, the same as the woman's, but clearer now. _"I've seen whole armies turn and run away..." _Said River Song._ "The Doctor and the TARDIS, next stop everywhere..."_ The scenes continued to change, this time he Doctor was running around the control panels of his home. He was younger though, in a different form to the current one.

_"You're completely mad..."_ He heard Martha state. It was the Doctor turned to speak.

_"All of time and space,"_ he stood in the TARDIS, _"everything that has ever happened or ever will," _Merlin felt tears of pain roll. _"Where do you want to start?"_ His eyes snapped open, but Merlin saw nothing but the Doctors life. His eyes flashed gold but nothing happened. The visions continued.

The Doctor walked away from flames. Merlin heard the mans' voice again. _"Didn't anyone ever tell you there's one thing you never put in a trap if you're smart?" _He spoke in a fury, in both speed and rate._ "If you have any plans on seeing tomorrow, there's one thing you never ever put in a trap,"_ he was aiming at the ceiling with a strange weapon, the scene changed once again. The images came faster and faster, almost blurring.

The music in Merlins head became louder and he cried out as a new voice sounded. _"The first question. The question that must never be answered. Hidden in plain sight,"_ flashes of the Doctors future flashed before his eyes, but slowed down for a moment. The Time Lord looked back to listen to someone. _"The question you've been running from all your life... Doctor Who? Doctor Who?" _Dorium was yelling now_, "DOC. TOR. WHO.!?"_

Everything stopped. In the blink of an eye, Merlin could see again, the screaming died down to just a whisper again. His head was pounding, but he managed to sit up. He was shaking severely and he was sweating buckets, but he was relieved he had at least his vision under control. But not for long, as soon as one last whisper echoed through his mind, he fell back again.

_Silence will fall when the question is asked... _

Everything went black...

**Thanks for reading, reviews are greatly appreciated and I would like to just thank those who already have reviewed, and I know this chapter is shorter than the others I have written, but I wanted to go for a cliff-hanger, even if it isn't a very good one. **

**Cheers,**

**W-L**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the series' on BBC and I do not own the Arthurian legend.**

_Everything went black..._

Chapter 6

Merlin woke when Gaius arrived home. The old man had found Merlin unconscious in the boys' room. He was running a temperature and, when his eyelids were pulled back, they revealed severely bloodshot eyes. Merlin had woken before Gaius could examine him further. And due to this, he hadn't been able to notice the burn marks running along Merlins' arm.

The young warlock had jumped up when he was conscious enough to see Gaius. Merlin remembered everything that had happened. He remembered being trapped in the nightmarish viewing of the Doctors past and future, he remembered the immense pain, which he still felt, and he remembered everything he'd seen in the visions. The whispering was still at the back of his mind, but the words were undefinable, all he heard was what sounded like a constant gale, muffled, but still there. Quite quickly the short interrogation began, "Merlin!" Gaius exclaimed when his ward awoke. "What happened? Are you Okay? Where are you going?" Gaius asked the last question a bit flabbergasted as the youth moved to the door.

Merlin had stumbled out of the room without answering, being careful to shield his disfigured arm from inanimate objects and Gaius' prying eyes. "Sorry Gaius," was the only thing said before he was out the main door. Gaius sat there dumbfounded for a few minutes before finally getting up, his old bones cracking from being on the ground for so long. He was worried about Merlin of course, but he decided he had to get back to work. _That case of chicken pox could be contagious…_ his thoughts trailed off.

Merlin staggered through the castle, heading towards Arthurs' chambers. As near as he could tell, he had been unconscious for around three hours. He careened through the doors to Arthurs' quarters without bothering to knock. Merlin knew Arthur would be at a meeting at that point anyway.

He grabbed the kings' amour and hauled it over to the table. He tried to busy himself, but even that small movement encouraged the pain to show itself again. He felt his eyes water again from the overwhelming onrush of information that had flooded through his mind. Over nine hundred years of memories and intelligence all uploaded into his memory bank in less than an hour, he figured it was safe to say that it was all a bit much.

Merlin started polishing, rubbing away the flaws in the mental, and brushed away any tears that fell past his eyes. He stopped occasionally, though, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. He worked for hours, wasting away time, moving from chore to chore, favouring his injured, until eventually it was dark outside.

Merlin examined the room feeling slightly disappointed. Everything was finished. His head was still pounding and he was still sweating, but there was nothing else to do. His dry eyes drooped and gazed around in a blood shot daze, he numbly recognised the pain in his arm, and finally ended up with his back to the door.

At that moment, Arthur walked in and saw Merlin standing there empty handed. Merlin wiped the sweat off his forehead with his good hand.

He turned then, and saw Arthur. "Hmm…" said Merlin, trying to sound cheerful and normal. He took in Arthurs' annoyed look. "I'll just go and get your dinner," the king slumped around grumpily. He sidestepped around Arthur before he could get anything thrown at him, and within seconds, he'd tumbled through the door.

He staggered towards the kitchens as steadily as he could in his sickened state. He coughed into his unharmed hand from time to time and sweat kept streaming down his face to soak his neckerchief. He was panting when arrived at the kitchens, but gave it no thought.

The whole of his short trip, Merlin had been wondering about the Doctor. Merlin knew that he was an alien, and that they were all from the future. He also knew that Amy and Rory were married too. He wondered how to confront the man, now knowing he definitely had to. The spires growing up his arm were proof enough of that. Merlin wondered what their reactions would be to finding out he knew everything there was to know about them and that mad man who stole a magic blue box. When he imagined their reactions to finding out he actually had magic, he almost laughed aloud.

He gathered Arthurs' dinner and asked the rowdy cook to prepare three meals for their guests. She didn't seem happy to be following orders from a servant but she obliged without obvious complaint. Merlin delivered Arthurs' dinner, throwing a 'thank you' over his shoulder as he left. He entered the chambers to see the King pacing around the room. "Rough day?" Arthur seemed startled by the sudden appearance of his servant. Merlin kept his head tilted down and hid his arm beneath the plate, taking care not to bump it.

"Does the council not understand that it doesn't matter of what standing Gwen is, I will still love her? Agravaine hasn't been helping with the debate at all and they keep pestering me about her, telling me I should marry into an alliance, that I should forget her… Argh!" He threw his helmet aside in frustration.

"I'm sure they will come around eventually," sighed Merlin in attempts to appease him. "Although I don't see why they don't just accept the fact that you're in love with a serving girl," Merlins' head pounded again as he saw their future, Gwen sitting on the throne, to be more specific. He smiled in spite of the pain caused by the images flashing before his eyes.

Merlin glanced up from placing the food on the dining table. Arthur walked around to sit in the chair. "I know what you mean," he tucked in to eat his dinner of roasted pork and potatoes.

"I have to go," Merlin said hesitantly. Arthur looked up confused, having forgotten about the new arrivals earlier that day. "I have to go serve dinner to our new guest," Merlin explained. "Is there anything you need before I leave, sire?" Arthur shook his head whilst chewing on a piece of pork, brooding over the council meeting, "Well then, goodnight, sire," Merlin bowed slightly, not feeling in the mood to make any sarcastic remarks. He turned to walk from the room.

"Goodnight Merlin," Arthur responded sincerely.

Merlin was out of sight from Arthur. He stumbled backwards and found himself leaning against the nearest wall. He ran his hand over his face and rubbed his eyes. Merlin could tell he had bags drooping beneath his eyelids, but he pushed off the wall anyway and slowly made his way back to the kitchens.

He arrived there and found three meals; one less extravagant that the others, but still no meagre meal, still, Merlin had a feeling that Rory wouldn't be too pleased by the differences. All three plates lay out on food tray, making it easier to carry, but the young warlock still had trouble lifting it. It was like the infection in his arm was sapping his general strength too. That was just great wasn't it? Merlin was already considered weak by the majority of the people he knew, but this was just getting ridiculous. His head pounded.

He made his way to the guest chambers on wobbly feet and was glad to see them all there. Now was not the time to be wondering around the castle looking for three time travellers. It wasn't the time to confront them either, but he still smiled weakly at the thought. Merlin stopped at the door to listen to what they were saying.

"But how can someone think that they have magic?" it was Rory speaking at that moment. "It's not like they can go prancing around singing '_oh look at me, I have magic! Alacazam, make things fly!'"_ He giggled girlishly and spoke in a mock sing-song voice, clearly not believing any of what Merlin could do. He almost started laughing right then and there at the irony of it all. There he was, a real, living, breathing warlock standing right outside their door, ready to make things fly without a moment's notice. Although he wasn't quite sure he'd use the exact words, '_Alacazam, make things fly!' _but it was still humorous.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure there isn't really such a thing as magic. It's probably just a low lying telepathy field that you can tap into with a little practice. It-" Merlin interrupted the Doctor by knocking on the door with his foot three times. As much as he wanted to hear the Doctors' theory, the tray of food was getting _really _heavy.

Silence fell in the room for a moment before the whispers started. _"What if it's him?" _Whispered Rory.

"_It doesn't matter whether-" _the Doctor started, but before he could say more, Amy pulled the door open. It seemed as if she tried to smile when she saw Merlin standing there with the heavy load, but it came out as more of a grimace. She glanced back into the room, sending a warning glance to Rory, he assumed, and opened the door wider to let him in. The whole while this was happening, Merlin was hiding his mangled arm beneath the tray, curling it under and out of sight.

He wondered what he would look like from an outsiders view. Pale, sweating, and shivering from a fever. Bloodshot eyes and shoulders slumped forward from the weight of their dinner. Black bags under his eyes, and a wobbling balance. Merlin shivered, only then realising just how sick he was. He realised he'd forgotten to mention the burns on his hand and the veins taking over his arm. It was a wonder Arthur hadn't called a plague alert when he'd first seen him.

A sense of nausea crept into his stomach as he looked around the room. Rory sat on a chair with his feet propped up on the table, trying and failing, not to look uncomfortable, and the Doctor… Merlin didn't get the chance to see what he was doing. Another vision hit him.

The Doctor was sitting a table with a child version of Amelia Pond. _Fish Fingers and Custard_, Merlin thought. _"There's a crack in my wall…" _Amy's childish voice echoed. The scene changed.

"_Wibbly-Wobbly-Timey-Whimey…" _They stood in Amelia's room, right next to the crack in her wall. He had his head against it, touching certain parts of the wall with his fingertips. _"Two parts of space and time that should never touched," _He ran his finger along the crack and tested it by pushing on it,_ "pressed together."_

Merlins' sight returned back to normal. He stumbled to the side, almost dropping the tray of food. Rory jumped up to help him with the food before the young warlock could drop it. Merlin muttered an unintelligible 'thanks', but kept his head down in fear of another vision. His very mind was burning, worse than ever. He took a breath to steady himself and stepped back.

"I'm sorry, my Lord," he bowed slightly, towards the Doctor, trying to keep up the fading façade. "My Lady," He bowed again. "Please excuse me. I must go and get your night things. Please enjoy your supper," he was out the door before any of them could say a word. The whispers had started again, making it feel like someone was hammering away at his brain. _He will knock four times... River Song, Melody Pond… Bad Wolf..._

**Okay, so there you have it. Sorry if it's basically a repeat of the last chapter, but that's how it turned out in the end. Umm, I'm not sure how long it will be before the next chapter is updated because it's not actually fully written yet, but I'll try my best to get finished as quickly as possible and as accurately as possible. Just so you know, the main reference in this chapter goes to 'The eleventh hour' and the rest go throughout the majority of the 'Doctor Who' series.**

**Anyways… **

**Merry Christmas Everyone.**

**Reviews are like chocolate, Irresistible. **

**And before I go, a big thanks goes to all to have followed, or added this story to favourites or to those who have just read this story in passing, but especially to those who have reviewed.**

**W-L**


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